Thursday, October 30, 2014

Western Screech Owl in our neighborhood across the street from Sabino. Notice the serrated wing feathers [click photo for larger view], a characteristic of owl feathers that allows owls to fly silently. Serrations break up the air turbulence over the wing. Silent flight allows an owl to hear as well as see prey as it hunts and, of course, makes its approach a surprise. No wonder that for centuries humans believed owls had supernatural powers.

Monday, October 27, 2014

There are two species of Datura in Sabino Canyon. The one above is Datura discolor (Desert Thorn Apple). Click on the photo for a larger view and note the purple in the throat of the flower. The purple is always there in this species. I've noticed more of these this year, perhaps because of the 'late' rains. Look in the washes along the road, especially before you walk down the hill.

Photo by Ned Harris 10/2/2014

You're probably more familiar with this species, Datura wrightii (Sacred Datura). This species never has that purple in the throat, but it sometimes has some light purple around the edges of the fused petals. (The flowers of this species are generally a lot larger than those of D. discolor, too.) You can find this species all over in the riparian area above the dam.

Don't touch, smoke, eat, brew, etc. the leaves, flowers, or fruits of either one, though. All parts contains toxins that can cause harm, sickness, even death, depending on misuse.

Thursday, October 16, 2014

Feast your eyes on this elaborate and distinctive web with its domed sheet and topped by a tubular "wrap" or retreat. Each retreat incorporates plant material in a unique way to make for a one-of-a-kind hideaway. It's easy to come out of the retreat to eat, though, and the retreat also makes a safe depository for the egg sack. From the Harris Hideaway collection.

(The Desert Bush Spider model inside this wrap has an elongated, orange-brown cephalothorax covered in short white hairs. The brown abdomen has a dark, leaf-like marking bordered with white; legs are yellow brown.)

Friday, October 10, 2014

Very few designers even attempt to make a fashion statement with Forest Service Green, but these Isolated Blazing Stars (Mentzelia isolata) stick patrol pants into rarefied realms. From the Horowitz collection.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

For the next week (or so), Your Daily Dose of Sabino Canyon will present the 2014 Sabino Canyon Fall Fashion Series. We guarantee you'll love this season's style and colors.

Photo by Marty Horowitz 9/30/2014

This combination of the delicate Ceraunus Blue with the dusty red fruits and the distinctive sunshine-colored flowers of Desert Vine (Cottsia gracilis) is just one of the featured plant pairings in this year's Horowitz collection.

Monday, October 6, 2014

You can tell this plant is in the Pea family (fabulous Fabaceae)! White-Thorn Acacia (actually not in the Acacia genus anymore, but we're going to stick with this common name) (Vachellia constricta) fruits are pods, like 'all' Pea family fruits.

Saturday, October 4, 2014

Wayne saw three - yes, three - Greater Roadrunners on his hike, including this beauty in an Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens). Both male and female Greater Roadrunners look the same, i.e., they are not sexually dimorphic.

Friday, October 3, 2014

Inquiring minds want to know why some Wild Cotton (aka Desert Cotton Gossypium thurberi) flowers are pink. The pink ones are 'old' flowers; they bloom white. Look for the fruits in the coming weeks. Wild Cotton is in the Mallow family (Malvaceae) and their very cool fruits have partitions for the seeds.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Alan saw this Indian Walking Stick at his house (which is even nearer to the canyon than my own). Check out these cool factsabout stick insects. Did you know that they are all female? How cool is that?!